Digital clock and alarm

ABSTRACT

A clock and alarm and/or timer associated therewith consisting of a stationary base member having time interval indications thereon and a rotary housing having hourly time indications thereon mounted on said base, the housing having a plurality of concentric rows of openings formed in the top wall thereof and pins insertable in one or more of said openings for engaging with a tiltable type switch to complete an electrical circuit and activate an electrical device at a predetermined time.

I United States Patent [191 Fowler [11] 3,817,019 June 18, 1974 DIGITALCLOCK AND ALARM [75] Inventor: Herbert H. Fowler, Lexington, Ky.

[73] Assignee: Elihu C. Asher, Nicholsville, Ky. a

part interest [22] Filed: Apr. 6, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 348,674

[52] US. Cl. 58/l6.5, 58/19 A [51] Int. Cl. G04b 23/06 [58] Field ofSearch 58/19 A, 20, 22, 44, 126 R,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,233,559 7/1917 Darche58/19 A 1,929,582 10/1933 Greenwood ..58/126R 9/1939 Schroeder 200/389/1957 James 58/19 A Primary Examiner-Lawrence R. Franklin ABSTRACT Aclock and alarm and/or timer associated therewith consisting of astationary base member having time interval indications thereon and arotary housing having hourly time indications thereon mounted on saidbase, the housing having a plurality of concentric rows of openingsformed in the top wall thereof and pins insertable in one or more ofsaid openings for engaging with a tiltable type switch to complete anelectrical circuit and activate an electrical device at a predeterminedtime.

5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Clocks are notnew in the art dealing generally with horology. Llkewise, an alarmdevice combined with a suitable clock mechanism is known. However, suchprior art devices are lacking in certain respects, one being that it issometimes extremely difficult to set the alarm operating mechanism toset off the alarm at the precise time and, also, such prior artmechanisms have included complex arrangement of parts in order toproduce a properly operating combined clock and alarm device.

With the above in mind, it is the primary object of the invention tocombine a clock with an electrically operated alarm and to provide ameans for the accurate setting of the time the alarm is to be sounded.

Another object of the invention is to combine a clock with a suitableswitch mechanism housed within the confines of the clock housing whichwill sound off an alarm or initiate the starting of a suitableelectrical equipment at precisely the time the alarm is to be sounded orthe time for the starting of an electrically operated mechanism withwhich the clock is associated.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pivoted switch memberwithin the housing of the clock and to employ a means whereby the lengthof time the alarm is sounded may be varied.

Another object of the invention is to reduce to a minimum the number ofmoving parts for the switch mechanism employed in conjunction with aclock so as to increase the efficiency thereof and to render less likelythe malfunction of such a switch mechanism.

Another object of the invention is to provide a plurality of contactpins of differing lengths which are to be used in connection with aplurality of openings formed in the rotating housing of the clock tothereby determine the length of time the alarm is sounded by the soundemitting device combined therewith.

Another object of the invention is to combine a clock with aconventional female AC plug whereby when a pivoted switch member withinthe clock housing is tipped to an on position, a suitable electricalappli-' cance connected to the said female plug may be turned to the onposition at a designated time set by the user of the clock. 1

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel areset forth with particularity in the appended claims. This inventionitself, both as to its organization and manner of operation, togetherwith further objects and advantages thereof, may be best understood byreference to the following description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a perspective view of a digitalclock and alarm or timer made in accordance with my invention,

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the top of the housing for the clockmechanism, and,

FIG. 3 is an enlargedfragmentary view showing the details of the switchmechanism.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to FIG. 1 of thedrawings, there is shown therein a clock designated generally by thereference numeral 10 comprising a stationary base member 11 and ahousing 12 mounted for rotation thereover in the direction of the arrowsby means of any suitable clockwork mechanism associated therewith. Theclockwork may be one that is electrically driven or may be the typewhich requires winding from time to time.

The base 11 and housing 12 may be constructed of any suitable material,such as sheet metal, plastics, etc. and imprinted or otherwise mountedon the exterior of the housing are hour markings starting with 1 to 12,with each hour designation separated by a vertically extending divisionline 14 as shown more clearly in FIG. 1 of the drawings.

Imprinted or'otherwise secured to the base member 11 at one area thereonare a plurality of vertically extending division lines to indicate thehour, half-hour, and the five minute intervals between the hour andhalf-hour. The hour designation is indicated by a line shown at 15 andextending on either side thereof are the division lines 16 to indicatefive minutes before and after the aforesaid hour designating line 15.Thus, as shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings, the clock shows the time to be6 oclock. To enhance the outward appearance of the clock, the base 11may be of one color with the hour and five minute designation lines of acontrasting color and the housing may likewise comprise a variety ofcolor arrangements for the hour sections marked off thereon. Extendingbetween each of the division lines 14 are a plurality of lines 17, onefor each five minutes interval between the hour designations appearingon the housing.

Mounted interiorly of the housing 12 and supported on the base 11 in anyknown manner is a conventional clockwork mechanism. A spindle 13 extendsfrom the clockwork mechanism and is adapted to be rotated thereby. Thehousing 12 is fixedly mounted on the spindle and the same is adapted tobe rotated one full revolution every twelve hours.

As can be seen more clearly in FIG. 2 of the drawings, the top wall 12'of the housing 12 is provided with a plurality of concentricallyarranged rows of openings 18. The outermost rows of openings 18representing either the hour or the half-hour of a given hour marking onthe outside of the house 12. Each succeeding rows of openings 18representing five minute intervals between hours. Thus, there areprovided 12 openings in the top 12' of the housing 12 between each hourdesignations appearing on the housing. Hourly designations 1 to 12inclusive are shown outwardly of the rows of openings 18. i

Referring now more particularly to FIG. 2 of the drawings, it will beseen that while the rows of openings 18 are arranged concentrically withrespect to the circular housing 12, it will be observed that all of theopenings in all of the rows of openings except for the outermost row ofopenings are slightly offset with respect to the center of the housingwhich is defined by the aforesaid spindle 13. This offset in thesuccessive rows of openings is to compensate for the amount of time thehousing has to rotate for each five minute interval of time. It can beseen in FIG. 2 that if a plurality 3 of imaginary radial lines weredrawn emanating from the spindle 13, each radial line would intersectonly one opening 18 at any one time. v

Headed pins 19 are provided and'the same may be of varying lengths for apurpose to be described more fully hereinafter. The pins 19 are storedwhen not in use in one or more of the openings 20.

Referring now to FIG. 3 of the drawings, there is shown therein thecircuitry employed with the clock and alarm of the present invention.Mounted on the base 11 and secured thereto in any known manner is avertical standard 21 constructed of any suitable material. Extendingoutwardly from the said standard 21 is a horizontally extending supportarm 22 of any suitable material and mounted for pivotal movement on saidarm 22 is a block 23 of light weight material having a mercury typeswitch 24 of conventional construction secured to the block in any knownmanner. As can be appreciated, the mercury switch has the usual internaland external terminals therefor.

It should be pointed out that the standard 21 and block 23 are soarranged on the base 11 to extend to a position closely adjacent to theundersurface of the top 12' of the housing 12. Also, the block is ofsufficient dimension as to span the area defined by the width of theaforesaid rows of openings 18.

A source of electrical energy is provided and a lead 25 extendingtherefrom one terminal is connected to one of the external terminals ofthe switch 24. A lead 26 extends from the other terminal of the switch24 and is'connected to'one of the terminals of a sounding device such asa buzzer 27. Another lead 28extends from the otherterminal of thesounding device and connects to the other terminal of the supply sourceof electrical energy. ,In instances where the clock of the presentinvention is to be employed in connection with an electrical appliancesuch as a stove, oven, etc., the sounding device may be replaced with aconventional female AC plug of known construction.

Having described the various components employed in the formation of mycombined clock and alarm and- /or timer, I shall now describe the mannerof operation thereof.

Assuming that the clock is to be set to activate the electricalcomponents therein at 6 oclock as shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings, a pin19 will have previously been inserted in the opening formed in theoutermost mounted off center on the arm 22 so as to permit for the sameto return by gravity to its normal position once the pin has clearedthe, same in its rotational movement with the housing. As seen moreclearly in FIG. 3 of the drawings, the length of the pin 19 willdetermine the length of timethe buzzer will be activated. The longer thepin thelonger in time it will keep the switch in a tilted position thuseffecting a longer period of time for the buzzer to be activated. Thus,the reason for providing pins of differing lengths as aforesaid. Ofcourse, should the clock be used in connection with an electricappliance so as to effect the start of operation of such an appliance,then the pin length would not be material since the circuit to theappliance would be closed as soon as the switch is tilted to the extentnecessary to close the same.

While in the foregoing the preferred embodiment of the invention hasbeen described and shown, it is understood that alternations andmodifications may be made thereto provided the said alterations andmodifications fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A combined clock and circuit maker and breaker I comprising astationary base, a clockwork'mechanism mounted on said base, acentralspindle extending from said clockwork mechanism and adapted tovbe rotated row of openings 18 provided for this hour and when thehousing on its rotational movement caused by the aforesaid clockworkmechanism reaches the hour of 6, the pin 19 extending through theaforesaid opening will engage with the block 23 and upon continuedrotation of the housing, as aforesaid, theswitch 24 will be tilted asshown in dotted lines in FIG. 3 of the drawings, thus causing themercury in the switch to complete the circuit between the leads orterminals extending therein thus initiating the alarm. The continuedrotation of the housing will keep the circuit closed until such time asthe pin has cleared the block when the same will return to its normalposition which is shown in full lines in FIG. 3. It shouldbe pointed outthat the block 23 is thereby, first time indicating indicia located onthe side surface of said base, a rotating housing secured to saidspindle for rotation therewith, second time indicating indicia locatedon the side surface of said housing ad jacent said first time indicatingindicia to cooperate therewith for indicating the time as the saidhousing rotates, a plurality of rows of openings formed inthe top wallof said housing arranged concentrically about said central spindle, eachof said rows of openings being angularly offset with respect to the saidcentral spindle such that each of a plurality of imaginary radial linesemanating from said central spindle and angularly spaced to represent afive-minute interval of time when said housing is rotated wouldintersect only one open-' ing, a tiltable switch means mounted on saidbase under said housing, and pins adapted to extend through some of saidopenings to engage with said tiltable switch means to effect the closingof a circuit between a source of electrical energy and an electricallyoperated means associated therewith when the clockwork mechanism hasrotated said housing to a predetermined set time.

2. The structure recited in claim 1 wherein said switch means is amercury switch.

3. The structure recited in claim 1 wherein said elec trically operatedmeans is a sound emitting alarm means.

4. The structure recited in claim 1 wherein the pins are of differinglengths to thus lengthen'the time of sounding of an alarm closing ofsaid circuit.

5. The structure recited in claim 1 wherein the electrically operatedmeans comprises an electrically heated device.

1. A combined clock and circuit maker and breaker comprising astationary base, a clockwork mechanism mounted on said base, a centralspindle extending from said clockwork mechanism and adapted to berotated thereby, first time indicating indicia located on the sidesurface of said base, a rotating housing secured to said spindle forrotation therewith, second time indicating indicia located on the sidesurface of said housing adjacent said first time Indicating indicia tocooperate therewith for indicating the time as the said housing rotates,a plurality of rows of openings formed in the top wall of said housingarranged concentrically about said central spindle, each of said rows ofopenings being angularly offset with respect to the said central spindlesuch that each of a plurality of imaginary radial lines emanating fromsaid central spindle and angularly spaced to represent a five-minuteinterval of time when said housing is rotated would intersect only oneopening, a tiltable switch means mounted on said base under saidhousing, and pins adapted to extend through some of said openings toengage with said tiltable switch means to effect the closing of acircuit between a source of electrical energy and an electricallyoperated means associated therewith when the clockwork mechanism hasrotated said housing to a predetermined set time.
 2. The structurerecited in claim 1 wherein said switch means is a mercury switch.
 3. Thestructure recited in claim 1 wherein said electrically operated means isa sound emitting alarm means.
 4. The structure recited in claim 1wherein the pins are of differing lengths to thus lengthen the time ofsounding of an alarm closing of said circuit.
 5. The structure recitedin claim 1 wherein the electrically operated means comprises anelectrically heated device.